UEFA Don Scatter Crystal Palace Dream, Demote Dem to Conference League, Give Nottingham Forest Europa League Ticket
E don happen o! UEFA, di big oga for European football, don give Crystal Palace fans one big blow wey dem no go forget in a hurry.
Di Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) don confirm say UEFA decision to demote Crystal Palace from Europa League to UEFA Conference League go stand, and na Nottingham Forest go take di Europa League ticket wey dem suppose get.
Dis news don make Crystal Palace fans vex well-well, and dem no dey happy at all. How dis whole tin take happen? Make we break am down for Pidgin.
Crystal Palace bin dey on top di world when dem win FA Cup for May 2025, beating Manchester City to carry di trophy wey be dia first major one for history.
Dat win suppose give dem ticket to play for Europa League, di second-biggest club competition for Europe.
Everybody for South London bin dey ginger, especially as dem even win Community Shield against Liverpool.
But UEFA come spoil di party. Dem say Crystal Palace and Lyon, one French club, get one owner wey be John Textor, and dis one no gree with dia multi-club ownership rule.
According to UEFA, no single person or group fit control or influence two clubs wey dey play for di same competition.
As at March 1, 2025, Textor bin get 43% stake for Palace and 90% for Lyon, wey finish sixth for Ligue 1, so UEFA say only one of di clubs fit play for Europa League.
Since Lyon rank higher for dia league, dem choose Lyon and demote Palace to Conference League, di third-tier competition.
Crystal Palace no gree o. Dem carry dia case go CAS, hoping say dem go fit overturn UEFA decision. Palace chairman, Steve Parish, even go Lausanne for Switzerland to attend 10-hour hearing with three CAS judges.
Dem argue say Textor no get decisive influence over Palace, and dem even sell Textor stake to Woody Johnson, di owner of New York Jets, to clear any wahala before di competition start. But CAS no gree with dem.
On Monday, August 11, 2025, dem announce say UEFA decision go stand, and Crystal Palace go play for Conference League. Nottingham Forest, wey finish seventh for Premier League last season, go now take Palace place for Europa League.
Dis decision don pain Palace fans well-well. Dem release one strong statement wey dey fire UEFA and CAS, saying di decision show say “sporting merit no get meaning again.”
Dem talk say when dem win FA Cup, dem earn di right to play for Europa League, but now “certain clubs, organisations, and individuals” wey get “unique privilege and power” don spoil dia dream.
Dem even complain say di process no fair, as CAS no gree dem access documents or bring witnesses to prove dia case. Palace fans don dey protest since, and dem dey call for better rules wey go treat every club equally.
Di wahala no just affect Palace o. Nottingham Forest don dey smile as dem go now play for Europa League, wey go bring dem more money and prestige.
Reports say Palace fit lose up to £20 million because of dis demotion, and e fit even affect dia plans to keep big players like Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi.
For di Conference League, Palace go face either Fredrikstad from Norway or Midtjylland from Denmark for play-off round, starting August 21, 2025, for Selhurst Park.
If dem win, dem go enter di 36-team league phase of di competition. But di truth be say Conference League no be wetin Palace fans bin dream of after dia FA Cup win.
Steve Parish, di Palace chairman, call dis decision “one of di greatest injustices” for European football history. E talk say e dey like winning lottery but dem no gree give you di prize.
Even though Palace say dem go continue to find legal options, e be like say dia hope to return to Europa League don slim.
Dem swear say dem go carry di same energy wey dem get for FA Cup to di Conference League, but di pain still dey.
Dis whole saga don show say UEFA rules on multi-club ownership need better clarity and fairness.
Palace fans dey hope say dis go be turning point for football, so dat other clubs no go face dis kind wahala again.
For now, dem go dust dia shoulder and prepare for Conference League, but di wound wey UEFA and CAS give dem go take time to heal.